Sioux Falls Stampede Select Ten Players in 2018 USHL Phase I Draft

Ten new players will join the Sioux Falls Stampede with some coming from as close as Minnesota and some as far as Russia.

The USHL conducted its annual Phase I Draft on Monday night (May 7). Each year, the Phase I Draft consists of teams drafting the youngest age players into the league. This year players born in 2002 are eligible for the draft and can start play for the 2018 season.

Sioux Falls had ten picks in the 160 player draft and used their first pick (13th overall) on center Jack Smith out of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Smith comes to Sioux Falls after appearing in 25 games for St. Cloud Cathedral during the 2017-18 season. He scored 17 goals and had 29 assists in those 25 games.

Artem Shlaine (6th round, 93rd overall) and Yan Kuznetsov (10th round, 157th overall) have come the farthest distance to play hockey in the United States. Shlaine is originally from Moscow, Russia and played last year in South Florida. He scored 51 goals in 62 games last season. Kuznetsov was with the U16 Russia National Team.

2018 Sioux Falls Stampede Phase I Draft Results

Jack Smith, C, St. Cloud, MN

Nick DeSantis, C/RW, Collegeville, PA

Victor Mancini, RD, Saginaw, MI

Dane Dowiak, C/LW, Wexford, PA

Johnston Peiers, F, Eagan, MN

Artem Shlaine, F, Moscow, Russia

Evan Bushy, LD, Thief River Falls, MN

Ethan Edwards, LD, St. Albert, AB

David Andreychuk, C, Chatham, NJ

Yan Kuznetsov, LD, Russia

Phase II of the USHL Draft will take place on Tuesday (May 8th) night and is open to all players that are eligible to play junior hockey and are not signed by any team.